News and events in Lower Manhattan
Volume 6, No. 64, Jan. 26, 2023
CONTENTS:

Letter from the Editor: Follow the Drinking Gourd
Downtown Post Food: Delmonico's Dispute; Restaurant Week Winter 2023
Bits & Bytes: South Street Seaport Hotel Sold; Goldman Sachs Profit Plunges
Bulletin Board: 9/11 Memorial and Museum 5K Run/Walk; Aid for Migrants
Calendar: Winter Saturdays at the National Museum of the American Indian

For the latest weather info: www.weather.gov/okx/.

Go to www.DowntownPostNYC.com for breaking news and for updated information on facility closures related to COVID-19 

MASTHEAD PHOTO: John Schaefer, curator of "Silent Films, Live Music" introducing the first of three nights of film and music at the Winter Garden in Battery Park City (Photo: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer 2023)

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD
For the first time in 50,000 years, a green-hued comet known as C/2022 E3 (Z.T.F.) is in our neighborhood. It's around 26.4 million miles away, and in cosmic terms that's not much. For some perspective on this, the average distance of the Sun from the Earth is 93 million miles.

In fact, this comet is so close to us at the moment that even without binoculars, it would be faintly visible to the naked eye. That is it would be visible if the night sky weren't cloudy as it has tended to be recently and if the moon weren't shining brightly and if light pollution from our fondness for electricity weren't interfering with our vision. But all is not lost. If you are yearning for a once in 50,000 years experience, you have until Feb. 2 to cast your eyes on this guest from outer space.
If all conditions align, you should be able to see the comet by looking north. Go comet-hunting early in the morning, after the moon has set. If you can recognize only one constellation, it's likely to be the Big Dipper. Two stars in the Big Dipper's cup point to Polaris, the North Star. On Jan. 30, the comet will be half way between the two. Look for a faint, green smudge. If necessary, use binoculars.
Frederick Douglass
A plaque in Battery Park City near the intersection of Chambers Street and the Hudson River esplanade records the fact that Frederick Douglass, a 19th-century statesman, a friend of Abraham Lincoln's and a predecessor of Martin Luther King, Jr. in the fight for Civil Rights, landed at approximately this location on Sept. 4, 1838 as he fled from slavery in Maryland to freedom in the north. When, in 1847, Frederick Douglass finally was in a financial position to publish an abolitionist newspaper, he called it "The North Star." (Photo: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
The Big Dipper and the North Star are well known possibly because they have been important to many people trying to make their way north as they fled from slavery. The song, "Follow the Drinking Gourd," believed to be of African-American origin and enshrined (accurately or not) as a folk song, begins with these words:
"Follow the drinkin' gourd
Follow the drinkin' gourd
For the old man is comin' just to carry you to freedom
Follow the drinkin' gourd."

Now, we have a new cohort of people who are undoubtedly scanning the night sky as they walk north from Central and South America, not because they're looking for a comet but because they're hoping to reach the border of the United States and find sanctuary here. More than 41,000 asylum seekers have arrived in New York City since last spring, with more on the way.

New York Mayor Eric Adams says that we don't have room for them — that the City budget can't sustain this influx — that helping them "surpasses both our moral and legal obligations." But how can we not help them? They have risked everything to be here. They "followed the drinking gourd" and came north, leaving everything behind except what they could carry.

There are 8.3 million people in New York City. We can certainly accommodate a few thousand more, and if they are like the immigrants who preceded them here (including many of our own ancestors) their contribution to our city and our country will far exceed whatever it takes to help them now.

— Terese Loeb Kreuzer
Downtown Post NYC's website (www.DowntownPostNYC.com) is updated daily. That's the place to check for urgent messages, breaking news and reminders of interesting events in and around Lower Manhattan. So be sure to look at the website every day, especially if you want to know about breaking news.

HOW TO SUPPORT DOWNTOWN POST NYC: I made Downtown Post NYC free to subscribers so that no one who was interested in reading it would be excluded because of cost. Downtown Post NYC is largely supported by advertising revenue. In addition, some people have made contributions, which are much appreciated. For more information about how to contribute or advertise, email editor@downtownpostnyc.com.
Feb. 2: Art Talk with BPC Specialists: BPCA art educators will share anecdotes from their many seasons teaching in Battery Park City. They will discuss the current exhibition, techniques they use to encourage artistic expression with class participants and how they find inspiration for their own work. Place: 6 River Terrace. Time: 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 23: BPCA'S Annual Art Exhibition will close with a reception that will include reading and poetry created by participants in BPCA's inaugural writing program. Place: 6 River Terrace. Time: 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year
at Té Company

This is the Year of the Rabbit. Celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year with a box of auspicious treats and a pot of your favorite oolong.

Traditional Lunar New Year snacks are an assortment of mostly nut candies and are meant to give the new year a fresh and auspicious start. Té Company has compiled an assortment of sweets that will do just that: six nutty and delicious treats that will bring joy and prosperity to your new year. For those looking to celebrate with a Lunar New Year tea service, Té Company recommends the Mount Ali. Gently roasted and a classic Taiwanese oolong, this tea is toasty and heartwarming. For more information about Lunar New Year snacks and tea gifts, click here.

The tea room at 163 West 10th St. is open Wednesdays through Sundays from noon to 6 p.m.

For more information about Té Company, e-mail: hello@tecompanytea.com

Downtown Post Food
DELMONICO'S DISPUTE; RESTAURANT WEEK, WINTER 2023
Delmonico's as it looked in 2008.
(Photo: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
It seemed as of a few days ago that the venerable restaurant, Delmonico's at 56 Beaver St. was certainly going to reopen in the near future. Now, according to ny.Eater.com, that's not so certain.

"The nearly two-centuries-old steakhouse announced it would reopen in fall 2023, but according to the Delmonico’s Instagram account, that is fake news," ny.eater.com reports in its issue of 1/23/2023.

Delmonico’s "is returning to the Financial District after being temporarily closed for nearly three years," says ny.eater.com. But the problem is that there are two families at war over who has the right to make that decision.
One family says they’re within their rights to reopen the restaurant in the historic Beaver Street space, while another claims the restaurant opening is in violation of the trademarked name. An Instagram post...on Delmonico’s account alleges that the “recent reports that we will re-open at 56 Beaver Street is false. It has come to our attention that former associates have been misrepresenting themselves to the media as owners of Delmonico’s. The dispute is complicated, but it largely boils down to who owns the trademark rights to Delmonico’s name and its usage."
For more on this story, click here.
Restaurant Week 2023: Restaurant Week in New York City started on Jan. 17 and runs through Feb. 12. Two-course lunches cost $30 and three-course dinners cost $45 or $60. Some restaurants are offering Sunday lunch/brunch for $30. Others are only offering Restaurant Week deals from Monday to Friday. Prices don't include beverages, tax or gratuities.

Participating restaurants in the neighborhood include:

   •   Anassa Taverna (104 North End Avenue) Greek/Mediterranean
   •   Barbalu (225-227 Front Street) Italian
   •   Blue Smoke (255 Vesey St.) Barbecue
   •   Carne Mare (Pier 17) Italian; Seafood; Steakhouse
   •   Del Frisco’s Grille (250 Vesey Street, Brookfield) Steakhouse
   •   Firenze Ristorante Toscano & Bar (101 Liberty Street, Eataly) Italian
   •   The Fulton (89 South Street) Seafood
   •   Industry Kitchen (70 South Street) Salads; Pizza; Wood-oven grilled meat
   •   La Marchande (88 Wall Street) French Brasserie
   •   La Pizza and La Pasta (101 Liberty Street, Eataly) Italian
   •   Le Gratin (5 Beekman Street) French
   •   Liberty Bistro (225 Liberty Street) French Brasserie
   •   Malibu Farm (89 South Street) American
   •   Mezze on the River (375 South End Avenue) American
   •   Morton’s The Steakhouse (136 Washington Street) Steakhouse
   •   One Dine at One World Observatory (117 West Street) American; Wine Bar
   •   Schilling (109 Washington Street) Austrian/Mediterranean
   •   Temple Court (5 Beekman Street) American
   •   Treadwell Park (301 South End Avenue) Craft beer hall
   •   Vino e Grano (101 Liberty Street, Eataly NYC Downtown) Italian; Wine Bar
• Tamarind Tribeca (99 Hudson Street) Indian
• American Cut (363 Greenwich Street) Steakhouse
• Gran Morsi (22 Warren Street) Italian
• City Vineyard (233 West Street) American
• Sarabeth's Tribeca (339 Greenwich Street) American
• Tribeca Grill (375 Greenwich Street) American; (Pasta; Grilled Meat; Fish)

For more information, click here.
Bits & Bytes
SEAPORT HOTEL SOLD; GOLDMAN SACHS PROFIT PLUNGES
Brookfield Place and Goldman Sachs headquarters in Battery Park City.
(Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
"New York Harbor School charts expansion as it teaches next generation of ocean stewards," 01/16/2023, Gothamist.com. "As a boat horn pierces an overcast Monday morning on Manhattan’s South Street, a stampede of teenagers rushes toward the 8 o’clock ferry bound for Governors Island – carrying backpacks, headphones and several fishing poles," Gothamist.com reports. "If they miss this ferry, they will be late for the first period at the New York Harbor School. This maritime public high school is training the next generation of environmental stewards who will be better equipped to manage a planet rapidly approaching its global warming tipping point. And its hands-on curriculum prepares graduates for the green and sustainable jobs in the maritime sector — from scientific research to underwater welding. The Harbor School, which is now in its 20th year of operation, is looking to expand. Its educational facility currently only has enough space for around 500 students. The campus is planning to double in size by 2026 with the addition of two buildings, allowing for enrollment of up to 1,000 students." For the complete article, click here.

"Mr. C Seaport hotel sells to South Korean operator for $60M; Luxe 66-key lodging at 33 Peck Slip will no longer operate under Cipriani family brand," 01/16/2023, therealdeal.com. "The Los Angeles-based Ghassemieh family sold its boutique hotel in the South Street Seaport for an even $60 million in a needed jolt for New York’s hospitality market," says The Real Deal. "South Korean luxury resort operator Sono Hospitality Group has made its biggest step yet into the U.S., buying the 66-key Mr. C Seaport hotel for a healthy per-room price of just over $900,000. The hotel at 33 Peck Slip — which closed temporarily this month, citing the pending sale — will no longer operate under the Mr. C brand, created by developers Bob and Alex Ghassemieh and operators Ignazio and Maggio Cipriani starting with a Beverly Hills hotel in 2011." For the complete article, click here.

"Tribeca triplex tops Manhattan luxury contracts," 01/16/2023, therealdeal.com. "Manhattan’s luxury market was down on its dollars last week, with 18 homes going into contract at lower average asking prices than the previous period," says The Real Deal. "The most expensive unit to enter contract between Jan. 9 and 13 was Unit 1 at 55 Leonard Street, with an asking price just under $12 million, according to Olshan Realty’s weekly report of homes asking $4 million or more." For the complete article, click here.

"Goldman Sachs Lags Rivals as Profit Plunges," New York Times, 1/17/2023. "Goldman Sachs, long the most envied firm on Wall Street, has stumbled into the New Year," says The New York Times. "Just how big of a pratfall became clearer on Tuesday, when the bank reported a dismal performance during the final quarter of 2022, and its stock tumbled more than 6 percent. Goldman said that it made significantly less money in the fourth quarter of 2022 than analysts expected — $1.3 billion, down nearly 70 percent from the same period a year earlier, a steeper fall than its rivals. The bank had been previewing its misfortunes for a while. Last week, Goldman said it would lay off 3,200 employees, its heaviest staff cuts since the financial crisis of 2008. It also laid out the billions in losses it has made during an ill-fated push into consumer banking, where its efforts to woo ordinary American savers backfired." For the complete article, click here.

"Uterine cancer officially added to list of 9/11 illnesses: federal officials," Daily News, 1/17/2023. "Cancers of the uterus will be officially added to the federal list of 9/11-related health conditions, after months of delays," the Daily News reports. "The addition is expected to take place Wednesday after the rule change is published in the federal register, which contains updates to government agency rules, federal officials said....At least 50 women who worked as responders at Ground Zero and those who lived or worked nearby have gotten uterine cancer. With this rule change, they will receive full coverage from the World Trade Center Health Program for past and future treatments. Those who have developed uterine cancer will also be able to seek compensation from the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund." For the complete article, click here.

Bulletin Board
9/11 MEMORIAL & MUSEUM 5K RUN/WALK; AID FOR MIGRANTS
This year's annual art show of artwork created in the Battery Park City Authority’s year-round art classes will open with a reception on Sunday, Jan. 29 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at 6 River Terrace in Battery Park City. All are welcome to see the art work and to meet the artists and the artist/educators who lead the programs. The art work will remain on view on Thursdays, Feb. 2, Feb. 9, Feb. 16 and Feb. 23 from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (Photo: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer. An art class in Battery Park City led by Elise Engler.)
9/11 Memorial & Museum 5K Run/Walk: The 11th annual 5K Run/Walk will take place on Sunday, April 30, 2023. Proceeds raise funds for the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, which is operated by a private foundation whose mission is to commemorate, educate and inspire. All funds raised by the 5K Run/Walk help ensure that the 9/11 Memorial remains free for all who wish to visit. In early 2023, the Memorial & Museum will release additional information about special promotions, fundraising rewards and resources, race-day activities, and more. In the meantime, save the date and register by clicking here. For questions, email runwalk@911memorial.org.

City Council Member Marte Spearheads Aid for Migrants: "Generations of immigrants made the neighborhoods of Lower Manhattan, from the Five Points, to Little Italy, to the Lower East Side, to Chinatown," says City Council Member Christopher Marte, who represents Manhattan District 1. "We now have hundreds of new neighbors moving into our communities who are seeking asylum from their home countries and better futures for their families. Their stories are just like many of ours, our parents, or our grandparents. We are so grateful to the hundreds of people who have already donated new and gently used clothes, coats, shoes, and toiletries. Welcoming asylum-seekers into our office with these items helps them to immediately feel cared for and allows us to build the trust we need to connect them with critical services. We are still collecting items for all ages and sizes - and are especially in need of children and adult sneakers and new underwear for kids, teens, and adults."

Marte asks that donations be brought to the District 1 office at 65 East Broadway, from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday. For those who have nothing to donate, he suggests making a tax-deductible contribution to Welcome to Chinatown’s fundraiser, which has been set up to direct cash assistance to migrant families. To connect with the fundraiser, click here.

Through Jan 27, help Battery Park City stay green this holiday season! Please deposit your tree without decorations at the curb where Parks Operations will pick it up. Trees are chipped and used for mulch in the parks of Battery Park City. For more information, call 212-267-9700.

Chinese New Year: Jan. 28 and Jan. 29: Welcome to Chinatown’s Lunar New Year Weekend Fair. Welcome to Chinatown is hosting a Lunar New Year fair in the East Broadway Mall. The celebration includes a selection of local vendors, workshops, a scavenger hunt, and more. The workshops will be hosted by Subtle Asian Baking, Anna Ye Tea, and Akki-Lab. Vendors include Butterboy Baking Co., Dawang, SUBLIMA Jewelry, Yu & Me Books, and many others. Place: East Broadway Mall, 88 East Broadway Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. To RSVP, click here.

Feb. 12: Chinese New Year Parade
. Hosted by Better Chinatown, Chinatown’s annual Lunar New Year Parade returns to Lower Manhattan with traditional dragon dancing, captivating outfits, martial art performers, vendors, and much more. The parade sets off from the corner of Mott and Hester Street before traveling down to Chatham Square. The procession then heads across East Broadway and up Forsyth Street before ending at Sara D. Roosevelt Park. Time: 1 p.m.

For more places to celebrate Chinese New Year, click here.

NYPD First Precinct Community Council Meetings: The monthly meetings of Manhattan's NYPD First Precinct Community Council are usually held on the last Thursday of each month starting at 6 p.m. at 16 Ericsson Place. The Community Council welcomes residents and businesses interested in police and security issues. Crime statistics and crime prevention tips are presented and quality of life issues are discussed. For more information, contact the First Precinct Community Affairs Officer, Nicolaos Iordanou at (212) 334-0640 or nicolaos.iordanou@nypd.org

Rapid At-Home COVID-19 Test Kit Pickup: Free, Covid-19 rapid-testing kits can be picked up in Lower Manhattan at the following locations:

Battery Park City Library
,175 North End Ave.; Chatham Square Library, 33 East Broadway. Monday to Friday, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tests can be used on people 2 years old and older. One kit is recommended per person

At-home Testing: At-home testing for COVID-19 is now available to all immunocompromised New Yorkers and those ages 65 and older. To schedule an in-home appointment, call (929) 298-9400 between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. (7 days a week).

For more information, click here.

Governors Island ferry access: Access to Governors Island is by ferry, with timed ticket reservations required. Ferries run daily from the Battery Maritime Building at 10 South St. in Lower Manhattan. The ferries are always free for kids 12 and under, for seniors 65 and up, for residents of NYCHA housing, for military servicemembers, Governors Island members, and for everyone on weekends before noon. Starting later this year, NYC Ferry will serve Governors Island daily via the South Brooklyn route. A launch date for this expanded service will be announced soon. NYC Ferry's shuttle from Wall Street/Pier 11 to Yankee Pier on Governors Island will continue on weekends until the launch of 7-day/week service along the South Brooklyn route. NYC Ferry riders on any line that makes stops at Wall Street/Pier 11 may transfer to a shuttle service to Governors Island on Saturdays and Sundays. Governors Island weekend ferry service from Brooklyn (Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park and Atlantic Basin in Red Hook) is currently not in service and will return in Spring, 2022. The first ferry to Governors Island from 10 South St. leaves at 7 a.m. The last ferry from Governors Island leaves at 6 p.m. Learn more about Governors Island ferries and book tickets by clicking here.

Lower Manhattan Greenmarkets: There are Lower Manhattan Greenmarkets in Tribeca (at Chambers and Greenwich Streets) and at Bowling Green, City Hall, the Oculus and the Staten Island ferry. GrowNYC asks that shoppers wear a face covering inside the market space and maintain a six-foot distance between themselves, Greenmarket staff, farm stand employees and other customers. Dogs and bicycles should be left at home.

Click here for a list of the fruits and vegetables now in season.
Mary Lattimore, harpist and composer, with William Tyler on electric guitar, playing the score that they created to accompany Eric Dawson's film, "Electric Appalachia." The film uses found, archival footage to show what was lost and what was gained when electricity and modernity came to East Tennessee. (Photo: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer 2023)
Silent Films, New Music at Brookfield Place
Jan. 25: The first of three nights of "Silent Film, New Music" curated by WNYC's John Schaefer featured a film called "Electric Appalachia" about the changes that came to traditional life in East Tennessee with the advent of the landscape- and life-altering dams built by the Tennessee Valley Authority. "Silent Films, New Music" continues on Jan. 26 and Jan. 27 in the Winter Garden at Brookfield Place in Battery Park City. Program starts at 7:30 p.m. Free.
Some of the Downtown Post NYC bulletin board listings are now on the Downtown Post NYC website. To see the bulletin board listings, click here.
To see the events and activities on the Battery Park City Authority's winter calendar, click here. Most events are free. For some, reservations are required.
CALENDAR
Spotlight: Winter Saturdays at the
National Museum of the American Indian

 Much of the programming at the National Museum of the American Indian has to do with opportunities for indigenous people to interact with people who want to learn more about Native American culture and history. At the National Museum of the American Indian’s Native Art Market, for instance, Tony Sice (center) and Ray Tsalate, Zuni carvers who make fetishes, jewelry and sculptures, talked with a customer. (Photo: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
On Saturdays beginning on Jan. 28 and in New York City continuing through Feb. 11, the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) at 1 Bowling Green in Lower Manhattan is presenting programming relating to Native American traditions and contemporary experiences. Two of the programs will be presented in person. One of them will also be available on line.

Jan. 28: Winter Blast: A Day of Indigenous Games. Warm up on a cold winter’s day playing Native games from across the Western Hemisphere. Try your hand at Inuit yo-yo, ring and pin, Hawaiian chess, hoop throwing, and more. Place: Rotunda of the National Museum of the American Indian, 1 Bowling Green. Time: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Feb. 4: Fresh Focus on Native American Photography. Examine the work of photographers who are lending their voices to defining what it means to be Indigenous today. Photojournalists Donovan Quintero (Navajo), Tailyr Irvine (Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes), and Russel Albert Daniels (Diné descent and Ho-Chunk descent) — whose works are featured in the museum’s "Developing Stories: Native Photographers in the Field" exhibition in New York — discuss their personal journeys. Time: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. To register in person, click here. The event will also be livestreamed at http://www.AmericanIndian.si.edu/livestream

Feb. 11: Native Cinema Showcase Screening: Encanto. (USA, 2021, 120 mins.) Directors: Byron Howard, Jared Bush, and Charise Castro Smith.
Encanto tells the tale of an extraordinary family, the Madrigals, who live hidden in a magical house in a vibrant town in the mountains of Colombia. The magic of this wondrous, charmed Encanto has blessed every child in the family with a unique gift, from super strength to the power to heal—every child that is except one, Mirabel (voice of Stephanie Beatriz). But when she discovers that the magic surrounding Encanto is in danger, Mirabel decides that she might just be her exceptional family’s last hope. Time: 2 p.m. Place: The film will be livestreamed into the auditorium at the National Museum of the American Indian at 1 Bowling Green. To watch this film, click here.
A painting by Thomas Cole in the Metropolitan Museum of Art is called “Distant View of Niagara Falls.” Painted in 1830, it depicts the falls as they would have looked to Native Americans before tourists and modern development had encroached on the scene.
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Editor: Terese Loeb Kreuzer


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